At present, there is a demand for better magnetic field sensing in the field of magnetically confined plasmas or magnetized fusion science. A measurement technique able to resolve the magnetic field on a sub-mm spatial scale with field sensitivities spanning a milli-Tesla to 100 Tesla range is needed.
Magnetic fields are generated by electrical currents. Plasmas are electrical and, therefore, magnetic in nature. In demanding applications, with the characteristics of small size, electrically insulating, optically coupled with direct field detection from direct current to very high bandwidths possessed by optical fibers, most of the unmet demands of local magnetic sensing can be realized. Optical fiber magnetic sensing can expand the range of field sensing far outside the present range to such disciplines as magnetized plasmas, condensed matter, superconducting magnet technology and the medical field where the complexity and the dynamics of the magnetic field interactions with matter are of paramount importance.